Artificial tooth-crown



(No Model.)

C. S. WIGGINS.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH CROWN.

No. 452,533@A Patented May 19, ISQL UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE-S. VVIGGINS, OF HORNELLSVILLE, NE\V YORK.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH-CROWN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,533, dated May 19,1891.

Application iiled April G, 1891.

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, CLARENCE S. WIGGINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hornellsville. in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements iu Articial Tooth-Crowns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has forits object to provide a novel, efficient, and durable artificial crown for natural roots of teeth which can be couveniently applied and the porcelain face be firmly secured without cement, while the parts are rendered susceptible of convenient detachment for repair, renewal, or other pur poses. 1

The invention consists in a platinum and gold or other suitable cup-shaped cap toV iit the extremity of the natural root, a socketplate having side flanges, a triangular' or equivalent shaped recess at its inner side and attached to the cup-shaped cap, a pin to be cemented in the canal of the natural root and havinga divided or split outer end to pass through the base of the cup-shaped cap and be expanded in the triangular recess for rigidly. but detachably connecting the parts to the root, and a porcelain face having side grooves engaged by the edges of the side iianges of the socket-plate to detachably secure the porcelain face in proper position.

The invention'is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional View of my invention on an enlarged scale for the purpose of clearly illustrating the details of construction. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the cupshaped cap. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the iianged socket-plate. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the porcelain face. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the pivotpin. Fig'. 7 is a similar view showing a moditied construction of pivot-pin, and Fig. S is a detail perspective view to exhibit. the manner of constructing the triangular or similar shaped recess in the socket-plate for receiving the divided or split end of the pivot-pin.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numeral l indicates a portion of the Serial No. 387,813. (No model.)

natural root of a tooth 3 2, the cup-shaped cap; 3, the socket-plate provided at each side with a lateral iiange 4; 5, the"` porcelain face, and 6 the pivot-pin having one extremitydivided or split to form two separable prongs 7 and 8.

The porcelain face 5 is provided at each side with a groove 9, and,since the porcelain face, as usual, tapers from the biting-edge to the vbase, the grooves gradually converge from the biting-edge to the base. rlhese grooves are adapted to be engaged by thc edges l0 of the side flanges 4,whicl1 are formed integral with the plate 3, and since these parts constitute in fact a socket I have termed the plate a socket-plate. s

The socket-plate is formed, as hereinafter explained, with a triangularf shaped recess 12 at the center of its top port-ion forthe purpose of forming divergent side walls of edges 13 in such ma'nner that when the divided or split end of the pivot-pin is inserted into the recess such split end can be expanded by spreading the tongue-pieces 7 and 8, and thereby firmly attach thesocl et-plate to the pin.

The cup-shaped cap-plate is fitted to the extremity of the natural root, and the pivotpin is suitably cemented in the nerve-canal of the root and projects through the base-plate of the cap for the purpose of engaging with the triangular recess.

The platinum or other metallic pivot-pin may be a solid piece formed with a division to constitute the tongue-pieces 7 and S, as in Fig. 6, or the pin may be composed of two separate pieces soldered together for a portion of their length, so that they can be spread apart at one end, as in Fig. 7.

In carrying my invention into practice I have devised an efficient method of constructing and applying the parts, which will be clearly vunderstood by those skilled in the art from the following explanation. The extremity of the root is trimmed and slightly concaved, as indicated by dotted lines let in Fig. l, and a band of gold is fitted around the root, after which the divided or split pivot-pin is set in cement about half-way in the nervecanal of the root, the remaining space being filled with amalgam. A thin plate of platinum is punctured for the passage of the pivot-pin and is properly molded or shaped to the ex- IOS 35 end of the pivot-pin.

1o thickness is provided at points about the pivot-pin. The porcelain face is now ground at its top portion or base l to accurately iit the metallic cap, and abacking-plate, of platinum, is molded or shaped to the porcelain face l5 and to the side grooves thereof, after which the porcelain face is removed and pure gold iiowed on the side iianges 4 to strengthen the parts. The porcelain face is now replaced by sliding it into engagement with the edges l0 zo of the side flanges 4 on the socket-plate 3, and

the latter is burnished and perfectly tted into the side grooves of the porcelain face. The socket-plate is now placed in position on the metallic cup-shaped cap, the position and direct-ion of the pin, its width, and height being accurately marked on the socket-plate. The plate 3 is then provided at the center of its top portion with atriangular-shaped recess 12, over which is soldered or otherwise secured 3o a concaved cap-piece 16, composed, preferably, of platinum and soldered with coin gold. This construction completes the triangularshaped recess 12 and provides the required space for the spread of the divided or split The porcelain face is now engaged with the socket-plate and the Whole arranged on the pivot-pin and cap in the mouth. Thesocket-pla-te is secured to the cup-shaped cap by wax, the whole carefully 4o removed from the root, the porcelain face detached, and the remainder of the crown invested 1u plaster and marble-dust in equal parts. When this has set, the wax is removed and sufficient gold flowed into its space to torni the contour of tl'ielingual portion of the tooth. By this means the porcelain face does not come in contact with theheatat any time.

By my invention it is possible to detach the entire crown by pressing the tongue-pieces 7 and 8 of the pivot-pin toward each other, and subsequently the porcelain face can be removed, all oE which is advantageous for the purpose of rendering the parts susceptible of convenient detachment for repair, renewal, or other purposes.

I may employ the removable crown-piece as a base for the attachment ot' any porcelain face or tooth desired.

Having thus described my invention,whatI claim is` l. In an artificial crown for natural root-s, the combination of a cup-shaped cap to tit the root, a socket plate having side flanges, a socket-plate attached to the cap and having side flanges andan approximately triangular recess, a pivot-pin to be cemented in the canal of the natural root and having a divided or split outer end to be passed through the basc of the cup-shaped cap and expanded in the triangular recess for rigidly but detachably connecting the parts to the root, and a porcelain face having side grooves engaged by the edges of the side flanges on the socket-plate to detachably secure the porcelain facein po.

sition, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the pivot or pin having a split or divided outer end with themetallic cap having a recess with diverging sides engaged to the pin by expanding the split or divided end thereof and an attached porcelain face or tooth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE S. XVIGGINS.

\Vitn'esses:

E. D. L. RoBEREsoN, MATT B. GREENE. 

